Toy electric locomotive



June 24, 1930. H. E. MORTON 1,766,185

TOY ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIV E Filed Dec. 17, 1927 Jiigl Patented June 24, 1930 HARRY M rm n; F PARK, Mess iw s rs I "To?! meme Locomo ive 1f ,Ap pl ication filed December 17,1927; $eria1 No.f2 40,915.

The present invention relates to toy electric "locomotives and more particularly to a system for operating the headlamps thereof. Heretofore it has been'the practice to op.

,5 erate the headlamps oisuch a locomotive by the'power current, that is, the current employed for propelling the locomotive, which current is controlled by the operator at some distant point. W-ith-this arrangement, the 1p headlamp of the locomotive will'be lighted onlyawhen the locomotive is in motion, the

shutting off ofthe power circuit necessarily cutting off current from the headlamp. WVhere, in the case of reversible-locomo- .15 :tives, a headlamp is'provided at each end,

the desired headlamp inaccordance with the intended direction of movement of the locomotive is thrown into the circuit .by means of a switch either manually actuated by the go operator or controlled by some abutment 1 so and to keep itat rest,- neither gheadlamp'can ibeinoperation. r

It is one ;of the [objects ,of the present invention to provide a system ofope' ating the headlamp ,of anelectric "toy locomotive s wherebythelamp may bein opera-tion irresp c ive- ;of whether the locomotive motion or is stationary. I

A further ojb'ect of the present invention is to provide :for the-controlling off the headis in I .40 lampsio-f a reversible looomotive'sothatthe proper headlamp for the intended direction:

of motion may be brought the lighting circuit at the will of the .op ator ,and-afrom r mo e P int, and also ndependent of the positionof the looomotive'.. v I p v Still another object of theypresent invent o is to pr vide a remote control by the operator for a toy electric locomotivewvhere- [by either headlamp may be b ought into lopno oration while locomtive is stationary and the proper headlamp will be lighted accordi ingto the direction of motion of the locomotive when the latter is moving. p A still further 'object'of the presentinvention is to provide a headlamp systein for .55

electric toy locomotives in which "means are employed for automatically regulating the current through the headlamp sothattkwide I fluctuations ofbrilliancy in the lamp will be avoided. v I

b With these objects in view, the presentinvention consists in the devices and methods hereinafter'described' and illustrated. For

convenience, the preferred forms" of these devices and methods are described andiillus- 46.5 tratcd in connection with thetoy locomotive reversing mechanism covered by inyLetters I Patent No. 1,569,233, issued January 12, 1926. 5 I

V In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 11.7.0

shows diagrammaticallya motor car or locomoti-ve, its headlamps,and the control devices with-associated wiring and circuit connections; and Fig. 2' is an enlarged view of the movable contact block of the polarizedgflfi switchcarriedby the locomotive andwhich in itself carries themovable contact elements which effect, in association with other-fixed contacts, reversal of the motor and a changeover of the headlamps. Acomplete desorip 'so p I tion of themotor reversing -a nd control mechanism and circuits will be found in my Letters Patent No. 1,569,233 above 1 76- terred to. i Briefly, however, inthe construction shown 5 in the drawings, the locomotive, indicated by wheels 8 and axleslO, is providedwith ga series motor 12 which has in the power ,cir- ,cuit, in shunt with the motoricircuit, a polarized switch 14 for reversing the armature leads of themotor. Besides the, alternating current supply 51 fondrivinglthe motor, there is adirect current supply from a small battery 67 for actuating. thepolariz'ed Itoversing switch through. thepower circuit connections. A combined reversing switch 71 fo t e i e ur t and ,rh ostatjoTf the alternating currentisa-lso provided, to-

gether with :a supplementary switch '55*;to

end of the locomotive.

adapt the apparatus for use with either alternating'ordirect current.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and'to those portions of the illustrations which concern the'headlamps and tlieir.con trol, 97 and 98 are the headlamps at either Oneside of each headlamp is grounded to the frame of the V i. loco'motiveas shown at 99 and 100. 1 The other side of lamp 97 is connected through lead 101 tothefixed cOntactklOQQ The other -side of the headlamp 98 is connected 7 through lead 104 to fixcdcontact'106'. Fixed contact 108,i's connected through leadv 109,

ballast lamp 110, lead 112, and lead32 tothe third 7 rail contact shoe 16 of the locomoftive. .The movable contact wiper 114 carried by the blockfitis sufiiciently long to bridge ftacts 102, 106 and 108.'

the distance bet-ween two ot theTfiX'ed con- -As described in'myj LettersPatenti No.

,l,5'69,233, the controlcircuit for operating 7 the motor reversing switch 14in'cludes a direc't current source 67 connected by loads 68 and 70 to a control:,revcrs1ng switch 71 whereby the controlllng direct current may besentthrOugh' the reversing switchl t in -eitherdirection, as desired; This control switch 71 comprises five, stationary contacts 7 2 and twomovable bridge contacts 'Ttwliich latter-,are' mounted on a sw nging contact block 7 6. As "shown in the drawing, the lead 68 is. connected to the central stationary contact and the lead 70 is connected to both; of the outer stationary contacts. Oneof the re-' 'maining contacts connects by a wire 80 to the lead 52- and the other by a wire '82 through contacts 84 and 86 of'the'switch to a wire 88 leading to a pair of stationary.

contacts 90 and92 which are arranged adjacent to. the open ends of the rheostatcoils for engagement with the arm '66. The "en- *gagem'ent of thegarm 66 with either of the contacts 90 ior92 closes the circuit from the direct, current source to therails 4 and 6 and 'jcauses;energization oi the polarized switch 111 order to reverse the direction of the direct'current in the leadsv 80 and .82, the

fcontact block .76 is pivoted at 94 and. is pro vided with two pins 96 adapted for selective V engagement'with the end of the contact arm H "controlling circuit and thereafter the power 66.. With theiparts in the position shown in full linesin the drawings, if thecontact arm,

is 'inioved ina clockwise]direction, the end, of

r the arm will engage with a right hand pin. :96 and causegrotation ot'the contact block and the consequentreversal of the direct Continued movement current connections. 'of thearm 66w1ll close the direct current circuit. g

r The. chrectcurrent source 67 is of suificientlylow voltage not: to cause operationof thelocomotive driving motor when the said v upon the rails.

operation of the locomotive on alternating current and the conti'ol on direct current,

' across the rails.

direct current control voltage is impressed The headlamps 97 and 98 V have a low voltage rating, preferablysomewhat less than the voltage of the direct current source, so that when this control voltage is impressed across theseries circuit consist 'ing of one headlamp and'the ballast lamp through the associated circuit, the voltage I drop through the ballast lamp is of such value as to limit the drop across the headlamp to approximately its rated voltage. ,The ballast lamp 110 itself having a specially designed filament, possesses a temperature-resistance characteristic of suchana ture that for a reasonable range of 1mpressed voltage, the current through the same is practically constant. -In,this fash-- ion, the ballast lamp acts as a constant; current regulator and serves, to maintain an even brilliancy of the headl'ampwhile the locomotive is at rest and during its entire range of speed. Since the regulation provided by the ballast lamp'is dependent upon changes in the resistance of the filament due J to changes intemperature' thereofland since the impressed voltage variations which will occur in thecase at hand will take place rapidly, it essential that the regulating device take the form 01" such'a ballast, lamp.

Heating and coolingof'the filament thereof will take place; rapidly andwith inconsequential lag behind the changes in power 7 producing the same. .Agann'smce' a range of. several volts must be compensated for, it

is necessary that thexchange in resistance caused by (heating shall be relatively quite great. This can only be obtained by very;

large changes in temperature and theuse oi" a'ifilament materlal possessinga high 'positive temperature-resistance coefiicient such as tungsten. The ballast lamp isto been closed within the body ofthe locomotive in he most convenient :location, such location lamp for the purpose of renewal. I

The operation of the system is described gas'follows Only that part of the sequence of operations having to "do with the reversal of the motor which is common to the selective functioning of the headlamPS will be described herein. A complete descrip tion being one whichwill allow of access to the Ofsaid mechanism of motor reversal will be found in'my Letters Patent 1,569,233.

Assuming that the switch 55 is set for the and that the switch arm 66 of'rhe'ostat 57 is set at the'neutral' position, in other words, 7

touching neither contact 90 nor 92, neither 1:;76-6; res

tended direction of motion of the locomotive. Immediately this contact is established, the proper headlamp 97 or 98 will be lighted. If the switch arm 66 was moved rection of motion will light. If the switch arm 66 was moved from neutral in the opposite direction, it will engage one of the'plns 96 on the control reversing switch 71 operating to reverse the succeeding flow of direct current to the changeover switch 1 1. Then, immediately contact is established between switch arm 66 and either contact 90 or 92,

whichever. may happen to lie in that direction, changeover switch 1 1 will function causing contact wiper 114 to bridge over from stationary contact 108 to the other of contacts 102 and 106 and the rearward headlamp, relatively speaking as before, will light. Further movement of the switch arm 66 in the same direction will cut off the direct current from the circuit and immediately thereafter impress through the adj acent branch of the rheostat the alternating voltage upon the system. Except for the brief instant while passing from the direct current contact 90 or 92, to its corresponding rheostat branch, the headlamp will remain lighted. Still further movement of the switch arm 66 along said rheostat branch will impress more and more voltage upon the, driving motor and headlamp circuit. The ballast lamp 110 limits the current to the headlamp, while as soon as a sufiiciently high torque is developed in the motor the locomotive will start. The speed of the locomotive is now controlledin the ordinary fashion by varying the position of switch arm 66 upon the rheostat branch. If now,

however, switch arm 66 is returned from the 7 motor and headlamp connections, first light rheostat branch to its adjacent direct. current contact or 92, the locomotive will stop but the headlamp will'remainlighted. Returning switch arm 66 toythe'neutral position will extinguish thatheadlamp and movement of switch arm 66 through the neutral position will serve to reverse the the other headlamp with the locomotive at rest, and finally to start the locomotive in the opposite direction with that headlamp lighted.

The disclosed invention has therefore provided a system for toy locomotive headlamp control which will admit of'either headlamp being lighted with the locomotive at rest or with the forward headlamp lighted with the locomotive in motion, entirely at the will, choice, and remote control of the opermaintain a practically even brilliancy of the conditions encountered.

difghted headlamp throughoutthe full range It is notintended.that-the 'disclosed.sysi tern of toylocomotive headlampcontrol and current supply be limited to application to the particular system :of locomotive re versingcontrol shown "herein, nor are the system and devices shown :anddescribed herein to be limited.totherexact forms :and constructions described: and illustrated, but

the invention may. be embodiedin other f'orms .andnarran-gements .within theimean- .ing -'of the lang'uageof the claims "hBEG'Glf; 1 xflavingthusdescribedzand illustrated 'wlIIVBHtlOD, what I claimis: j 1. A toy electric locomotive rlraving an electric motor and an electricheadlamp, a IPOWGI' circuit for supplying cur-rent .to the motor and to thehead'lamp when the motor is in operation, a, supplementary .IClTCllllE-FIEOI' supplying current V to the headlamp when to the circuits in sufiicient amount to operate the motor and the headlamp and at the :will of the operator in --'insuflicient. 1 amount rto lamp circuit for automatically increasing :the

"resistance in such circuit when current .is supplied to operate the -motor. I z Areversible toay locomotive'having the locomotive for selectively actuating "the the motor is stationary, sand a remotely aoper'ated control-ling device for both circuits.

' A toy electric .-loc omoti ve having an +e1'ec'tricn1otor and a headlamppmotor and lamp circuits in parallel, means under the control 'ofi-the operator for supplying current operate the. motor but sufficient zamoun't ite 1 operate the lamp, :and 1 devices in the headan electrically operatedswitchfor 'connectv .7 5: ing ClI'Cult, a controlling Jdev1ce remote from headlamp changeover switch, a source of (Eli-i rect current for operating said changeover switch and lightingone headlamp or the other when the locomotive is at rest-, another sourceof current for driving'the locomotive and lighting one or the other headlamp throughout the speed range of the locomotive.

4. A reversible toy locomotive'having an electric motor and electric headlamps at each end, a power circuit for supplying current.

to the motor and to one of the headlamps I when the motor is in operation, an electrically operated switch for controlling the direction of rotation of the motor and for connecting, one'or the other of the head the motor is stationary, and a remotely op-- i "erated controlling device for both circuits; ator. It hasfurther provided a means to v ieu locomotive-is stationary.-

v V; 8." The metho'd of operating a toyele'ctric each end, which consists insupplj in 'cii 7 rent to, one or the other of the headlamps I f m thepower circnitwhenthe locomotive is in'operation, and in cont-rolling the: directionof movement of the' locomotlveby means of a supplementary circuit which also sup- .p'liescurrent to one ofthe headlampsjwhen V; the locomotive is stationary.

The method of-operating reversible 'atoyielectric locomotive havin'g headlamps at .-each end, Whichconsists in supplying alternating current to'themotor to drive the locomotive andto one-of the headlamps when the locomotiveis in operation,- and in supply- 7 ing'direct cnrrent'ztoioperate one of the :headlamps When the locomotive is stationar e.

7. he 'method' of operating areversible Y 1:toy'electriclocomotivevvhich consists in supplying alternating current to drive 'theloco- .motive' and to operate one vof *the headlamps when the locomotive is inoperation; and in supplyingwdirect current to control the 'di- 7 rection ofmovement: ofitlielocomotive and r I to light. one :of the headlamps when the locomotivehaving an electric 'motorand an electric headlamp Whichcons'ists in supply- -:ing: current: in; sufficient amount to operate the motor andthe headlamp, and supplying 'current in insufficient-amount to'operate -the motor' fb utsufiicientto operate the v lamp, and utilizing the heating efiectlof r 1 5; the current external tothe lamp to increase -the {resistance in the: headlamp circuit when suflicient current is supplied to operate the motor.

In testimony whereof]: have hereto signed v my name to this specification. r r

" '1 HARRY MORTON f r 

